The Hills Are Alive
by Gracie O'Malley
Summary: The Doctor and his newest companion decide to take a random trip, just to see what happens. They find themselves in the middle of a world of music, where breaking into song randomly is a daily happening. Ten/OC - COMPLETE!
1. Phase One

**The Hills Are Alive**

**Phase One  
In Which Doris Gets Her Oats **  
_(bonus points for you if you get that reference!)_

Her name was Sadie Mitchell. She'd been the Doctor's companion for, oh, a couple weeks at best. She was still getting adjusted to being a travelling companion, as well as that whole 'travel through all of time and space' thing. So far, she hadn't gotten herself into too much trouble…well, except for that once when she'd almost gotten herself sold into slavery, and that other time…

None of these events seemed to faze the Doctor though. Sometimes Sadie wondered if he actually **expected** her to get into trouble. Surely not, though, because that was just silly. Sadie had determined, after her last misadventure on an alien planet, that she would do her best to steer clear of trouble at their next destination. She settled this decision with a little nod as the Doctor threw his long brown coat over a rail.

"So where now?" the Doctor asked, fiddling with the controls of the TARDIS. Sadie just shrugged.

"I dunno. You seem to know all the best places…so you choose."

The Doctor grinned.

"Let's set it to random and see where we end up, shall we?" Sadie nodded enthusiastically and the Doctor sprang into action. He danced all around the controls, lowering levers and throwing switches. It was like some mad mating ritual, almost, and Sadie loved to watch.

The TARDIS landed with a jolt after just a few moments, sending the Doctor and Sadie crashing to the floor. Sadie immediately jumped up and went running for the door. She hurriedly pulled it open, eager to see where they had landed. She expected to see some sort of countryside, or urban landscape, and perhaps even some form of life. And all of that was there of course. But there was something that she hadn't expected.

"Is that…music?"

--

Notes - Ok, so it's not much of a start, but it's something. I have ideas of where I want this to go, but I'd still welcome any and all feedback! Let me know if you want to see it continue!

Also, I'm a relatively new Doctor Who fan (I live in the States!), and I'm not too sure of a lot of details yet. Feel free to correct me if you read anything that's wonky!!


	2. Phase B

**Phase B  
A Song for Dustmites**

Sadie and the Doctor stepped out of the TARDIS, looking around at their new surroundings. The planet looked pretty normal to Sadie, well, normal in the sense that it looked a lot like earth. The TARDIS had landed in the middle of a bustling city, and Sadie's bright green eyes quickly took in all the sights. There were stone buildings lining the streets, people milling about doing their shopping, talking, laughing, and…singing. There was a constant, steady hum of voices filling the air. Every few minutes, a new song started up as another one faded away. The effect was rather deafening, to say the least.

"Rather noisy, isn't it?" Sadie commented, even though it was rather obvious. The Doctor didn't answer. He was already lost in thought, something that happened fairly often, Sadie had realized. She stood quietly, waiting. After a few minutes, the Doctor gave a small start and looked down at her.

"Well, what are we still standing here for? Let's go take a closer look!" he said, shoving his hands in his pockets and beginning to stroll aimlessly down the street. Sadie jogged to catch up.

As the pair made their way down the street, Sadie caught various snippets of the songs being sung. The odd thing, she noticed, was that she knew a lot of the songs being sung. They weren't your typical stage musical type (well, not all of them, anyway), but rather there were songs from all types of musical genres. In the space of about five minutes, Sadie heard country, rock-n-roll, pop, rhythm and blues, and so many more that she eventually begin to lose track.

It was rather funny, Sadie thought, to watch people having what appeared to be everyday conversation suddenly burst into song. She slowed down a little, trying to listen to as much as she could.

"_They tried to make me go to rehab, but I said no, no no…" _came from the shabbily dressed, grubby little man leaning against a wall in an alley, swaying slightly and rubbing at his bloodshot eyes. Obviously someone in need of a rehab, Sadie thought as she passed. A door somewhere slammed, and caught her attention. A man and a woman, apparently a couple in the midst of a big quarrel, were on the street now, the former chasing the latter, singing at the top of his lungs.

"_I'm sorry I'm bad, I'm sorry I'm blue, I'm sorry about all the things I said to you…and I know I can't take it back. I love how you kiss, I love all your sounds and baby the way you make my world go 'round…and I just wanted to say I'm sorry…"_ He had both arms outstretched, pleading. The woman spun on her heels to face him, fire flashing from her eyes. Sadie watched intently. This was way better than any soap opera she'd ever seen.

"_Lies! Lies! You're tellin' me that you'll be true. Lies! Lies! That's all I ever hear from you,"_ the woman was singing in return. "_Lies! Lies! I can't believe a word you say. Lies! Lies are gonna make you sad someday…Some day you're gonna be lonely, but you won't find me around…Lies, lies are breakin' my heart." _And with that, she turned away and was gone. Sadie giggled a little, watching the man, who was still singing, in pursuit of her. This place was turning out to be pretty fun! She looked around to see where the Doctor had gotten to. He was a short distance ahead of her, listening to a collection of what appeared to be factory workers as they passed, singing in close harmony. Sadie ran towards them, hoping to catch a snippet. She managed to reach them in time to hear the last few phrases.

"_Work all night and I work all day, life just ain't worth livin' this way. Work the soles right off-a my shoes, I've got the poor boy workin' blues…" _

"This doesn't make sense," the Doctor said. "They shouldn't be doing this.."

"Why not?" Sadie asked. "It doesn't seem so bad to me. Singing is fun!" The Doctor shook his head.

"No, not like this. Singing spontaneously on your own is fine, like singing in the shower…but this, this isn't like that. Something isn't right." Sadie rolled her eyes. Surely he's over-analyzing this, she thought. There's nothing wrong with these people, they're just very musically inclined.

"Well, while you try to figure out why they're singing, I'm going to go enjoy the show!" she declared, starting to walk away. The Doctor grabbed her arm, stopping her.

"This place could be dangerous," he said, his brown eyes wide and full of warning. "You shouldn't-"

"Oh stop it!" Sadie interrupted. "They're just singing. It's not like they're going to try to remove my brain or anything." She pulled her arm away and strode off. The Doctor sighed.

"Humans. They never learn." A street vendor sidled up beside the Doctor as he watched Sadie walk away.

"_There she goes, there she goes again-"_

"Oh stop that!"

--

Notes: So…here we are again. Firstly, thank you, those who are reading this lil fic of mine (and those who have put it on alert! I feel honored!). Second, I'm not sure where I'm heading with this, but I'm enjoying getting there, nonetheless. I hope you are too. Again, if you spot anything that's wonky, let me know and it'll be adjusted!

Also – all the songs that will be used in this are real songs. If you're curious about what any are, let me know – or, if you have any songs you'd like to see used, suggest away!


	3. Phase Three

**Phase Three  
Makes Me Wonder**

Sadie made her way down the street, drinking in all the sights and sounds of the musical city. She felt a slight pang of guilt at leaving the Doctor, especially after his warning, but really, could something as simple as singing be so bad?

After awhile, she found herself starting to hum along when someone sang a song she was familiar with. As she went along, she began to notice that there was much more singing than there was talking. In fact, most people didn't pay any attention to you if you weren't singing. This theory was proven when Sadie's stomach began to grumble. Completely forgetting that she was on a different planet and had none of the currency used there, she turned around and headed back to a little café she had seen.

She pulled the glass door open, a little bell tinkling to signal her entrance. The café was full of patrons, all singing as they ate or drank. Except for one. The Doctor sat at a corner table, alone, silently sipping at a cup of tea. His eyes met Sadie's. She could tell he wasn't at all pleased with her. Sadie swallowed hard, not feeling so hungry anymore, but she was determined not to let _him_ know that. She moved to the counter to try to place an order.

"Um, excuse me?" she said, motioning to the waitress, who looked ever so bored. The waitress never even looked up. "Miss? Excuse me, miss?" Sadie tried again. Nothing. She sighed, wondering what the problem could be, but then she realized. She was going to have to sing it. She wracked her brain, trying to think of a way to communicate. Finally, she remembered a snippet of an old song she'd heard once or twice. She glanced over her shoulder at the Doctor, who was watching her. Well that wasn't going to help this go any easier. She slid closer to the waitress, leaning over the counter a bit before she began.

"_I'm hungry for those good things, baby, __hungry through and through…" _she sang softly, feeling her face grow hot. Maybe this singing thing wasn't all it was cracked up to be. Out of the corner of her eye, she could swear she saw a faint smile pass across the Doctor's face. Fantastic. Thankfully, the waitress looked up and grabbed a notepad. It had worked.

"_Be our guest, be our guest, put our service to the test," _she droned mechanically, eyes only half open. She stood, pencil poised over paper, waiting. Sadie guessed that this meant that she could order her food. She opened her mouth and froze. What on earth could she order in song form? The waitress huffed, tapping the paper impatiently. Sadie thought about giving up, but then it hit her.

"_Cheeseburger in paradise, Heaven on earth with an onion slice. Not too particular, not too precise, I'd like a cheeseburger in paradise. I like mine with lettuce and tomato, Heinz Fifty-seven and French fried potatoes. Big kosher pickle and a…" _She'd done so well until then, even adapting the song a little to better suit her needs, and then the lyrics left her. She stammered, and then just shrugged helplessly at the waitress. Fortunately, the waitress seemed to understand shrugs and headed off towards the kitchen. Sadie grinned. She'd done it.

She looked around for a place to sit to wait for her food. The only open spot in the entire place was the one across from the Doctor. Sadie sighed and headed over.

"D'you mind?" she asked, gesturing towards the seat. The Doctor shook his head. Sadie slid into the seat, grimacing a little at its stickiness.

"Pretty impressive, that show of yours," the Doctor commented, making Sadie's face tinge pink again. "When does the album debut?" Sadie busied herself with pulling napkins out of the dispenser, ignoring him. "So, while you've been off doing who-knows-what, I've been trying to find out why these people are acting like this…"

"Yeah? So what's the reason then?"  
"Don't know."

"But I thought you said…"  
"I said I've been _trying_ to find out, not that I _have_ found out!"

"Oh."

The pair fell silent for awhile. The Doctor finished his tea and stood.

"Where are you going?" Sadie asked.  
"To see if I can find out what I want to know."

"Oh…so you're not going to…"

"Seems you made it quite plain earlier you weren't interested. Oh, and you'll need this," the Doctor said, throwing money of some sort onto the table. And with that, he left. Sadie winced. That had hurt, a lot. But she'd deserved it, she figured. She'd apologize, she decided. Surely he'd forgive her. She made up her mind to find him immediately…right after she'd finished her cheeseburger.

Sadie kept to her decision and began searching for the Doctor after leaving the café. She peeked into all the shops, into the alleys, and everywhere. She hadn't been able to find him anywhere. It began to dawn on her exactly what she had done, and it scared her. She slipped into an alley and leaned against the wall, tears threatening to spill over her cheeks. She'd be okay, she kept telling herself. The Doctor would never let anything happen to her; no matter how mad he was at her…would he? Sadie found that she wasn't too sure, and that frightened her even more.

Faintly, in the distance, she heard someone softly singing. It sounded comforting, so she moved further down the alley.

"_Baby mine, don't you cry. Baby mine, dry your eyes…"_

Sadie recognized the song immediately. Oddly enough, the voice never grew any louder, even as she kept moving down the alley.

"_Rest your head close to my heart, never to part, baby of mine…"__  
_

Sadie kept heading towards the singing. It was almost as if it was drawing her to it. It not only sounded comforting, it _felt_ comforting, and that was what she longed for most at the moment.

At the end of the alley was a door. Sadie put her ear to it and listened. The singing was coming from inside. She put up a hand to knock on the door, but it opened before she had the chance. Sadie gasped at what she saw, and then let out a bloodcurdling scream as she was yanked inside.

--  
Notes: So, I really fought to get this chapter out how I wanted. I'm still not sure if I like it so much. Thanks for those who are reading and reviewing (and please, please review? I'd like to know if you're enjoying!).

Until next time….


	4. Phase D

**Phase D  
What Hurts the Most**

A shrill scream pierced the air, clear as a bell against the backdrop of singing. The Doctor froze on the sidewalk. He knew that scream. He'd heard it before. In one fluid motion, he turned and headed in the direction of the scream. How could he have been so stupid, he wondered. He knew, he _knew_ she would get herself into trouble. But yet he'd let her wander off anyway. Not again, though, not after this. He'd put her on a leash or something, if he had to.

His Converse-clad feet pounded down on the cement, providing a rhythm that more than a few people picked up on. He ignored them though. He stopped when he reached the café, scanning the crowd for Sadie. She was nowhere in sight. He ran a hand through his hair. This wasn't good.

He jerked his sonic screwdriver out of his pocket and did a quick scan. Nothing. "No!" he shouted, slamming the device against his palm. "She's here, I know she is. Why isn't she showing up?"

The Doctor grabbed the nearest passerby. "You! Have you seen a girl, fairly short, dark hair, green eyes…she was here just a few minutes ago…"

The woman just stared blankly and started to move on. "Oh no you don't!" The Doctor put his hands on the woman's shoulders, stopping her, and then bent forwards a little to look her right in the eye. "I know you can understand me. Did you see her?"

The woman looked at him, genuinely confused. "You…you really can't understand me, can you?" the Doctor said, frowning. He closed his eyes. "Think, think…what can I…oh!" His eyes flew open and he began singing hurriedly, and just slightly off-key. _"__Have you seen her?  
Tell me, have you seen her?"_

It worked. The woman responded immediately.

_"Well, I saw her walkin' in the alley." _She motioned towards it with one hand.

"Thanks," the Doctor said quickly, running towards it.

Meanwhile, Sadie was being pulled down a long, dark corridor by a person much larger than her, dressed in all black. The person was humming something she couldn't recognize softly. It was all terribly cliché, but that didn't make Sadie feel any better about it. She must have slowed a little, because her arm was yanked harshly to make her keep up.

"Ow! Don't pull so hard, it's not like I'm going anywhere," she said. There wasn't a reply. Figures, she thought. She'd have to sing to make herself understood, if she needed to. She was half led, half dragged into a room, where she was promptly thrown into a large cage. "A cage? Oh come on…"

Again, no reply, and her captor disappeared without a sound. Sadie sighed, rubbing her now sore arm, and looked around. The room was full of cages, much like hers. Some were inhabited, some were not. There was one sitting near Sadie's, and she could see a boy about her age inside, curled up in a corner. She hurried over to the side closest to him.

"Hey, um...you, over there," she called. "Can you hear me? Well, can you understand me might be better to ask…" The boy looked up.

"Yeah, I hear you," he said quietly. Sadie felt relief wash over her.

"Fan-freakin'-tastic," she breathed. "So...I'm Sadie. What's your name?"

"Jackson."

"I'd say it's nice to meet you, but…" Jackson grinned a little. "Do you know why we're in here?"  
"Yep."

"Do you think you might tell me then?" Jackson stood up and stretched before answering.

"It's a long story," he said, moving to lean against the wires of his cage. "But I guess that's not a problem. I'm sure you've noticed how different this place is, right?"

"You mean the singing?" Sadie replied. "Of course. I'd have to be a total idiot to not notice that." Jackson ignored her sarcasm.

"Everyone here really loves the singing. See, this place used to be really dull. Everyone just existed, and there was no excitement at all. But then one day, people started to sing. It added some flair to the humdrum life, and everyone loved it. Teams of researchers set out to find the source of the singing, and a way to keep it going, no matter what the cost. That's where we come in. In order to keep it going, and keep everyone happy…sacrifices have to be made."

"What do you mean? Like, _actual_ sacrifices??" Sadie's eyes were wide, and her voice almost squeaked as she spoke. Jackson nodded sadly.

"That's what I mean. More sacrifices equals more singing. I think they've really upped their game lately, too. There's a lot of people being brought in."

"That would explain why there's been more singing out there, and less talking…" Sadie commented. "Does everyone on the outside know about this?"

"Of course. But like I said, everyone wants it to be kept at all costs."

"This is insane!" Sadie was pacing inside her cage, now. "Those people would sacrifice the lives of others…their friends, neighbors, family…just for a stupid song?"

"Yeah, that's pretty much how it goes."

"Not for me. No way am I getting myself sacrificed or anything just so some moron can sing a couple bars of a golden oldie." Jackson shook his head.

"The way I see it, there's not a whole lot you can do about it."

--  
Notes: I realized today that this story had a distinct lack of Doctor in it. I tried to remedy that somewhat in this chapter, and I'll try to do so even more in the future.

Thanks for all you who are reading and reviewing – it's helpful and encouraging! 


	5. Phase Five

**Phase Five**

**Say It's Possible**

Sadie was sitting in the corner of her cage, the one nearest Jackson. She had her back pressed against one side, and her legs stretched out in front of her. She'd been here for awhile now, she thought, although it's not so easy to keep time when you're locked up. Conversation with Jackson ebbed and flowed, usually only occurring when Sadie thought up another question to ask about their predicament.

"What does this sacrifice thing entail, exactly?" she asked after a moment. Jackson shrugged from his position in his own cage, which was the mirror image of Sadie's.

"If I knew, I wouldn't be here."

"But surely you've heard stories or something, right? I mean, you said before that everyone knew about the sacrifices…"

"That I did. But no one really says what they are, just that they exist." Sadie sighed.

"So, how do they get people for the sacrifices?" she asked after a minute.

"Preying on the weak and distressed. You heard a song that drew you in, right?" Sadie nodded. "That's how it's done. A song is chosen specifically for you, to draw you in. The weak ones fall for it every time, and those who are upset in any way. It's pretty simple, actually. And extremely effective." Jackson motioned towards the other cages, which were quickly starting to fill up. "As soon as these are full, it's sacrificing time."

"Great," Sadie remarked, shifting a little. "Being sacrificed in some unknown way was exactly what I had planned for today."

"You're awfully bitter."

The Doctor made his way down the alley quickly but carefully, keeping his eyes open for any sign of…well, anything. He glanced into all the bins and dumpsters, and, apart from a particularly foul stench, found nothing. He was still looking when his ears caught the faint strains of a song.

"_Well, who are you? I really wanna know. Tell me, who are you? Cause I really wanna know…"_

The Doctor moved towards the source of the music. After a quick search, he located it. A small purple box, sitting beside a large door, soft music still pouring from it. It wasn't too conspicuous, but if one were looking for it, it would stand out due to its bright coloring. The Doctor knelt beside it and put his screwdriver up to it. The music began to skip and eventually stopped completely.

The door flew open and a burly black thing came barreling out. The Doctor leapt to his feet and stepped back to avoid being run into.

"What are you doing?" a gruff voice snarled. "Your kind aren't needed here." The Doctor's hand immediately went to his pocket and he pulled out his psychic paper. He flipped it open and held it in front of him.

"Maintenance," he said. "I was told your machine was on the blink." The black thing stopped, apparently confused.

"I'll have to check this with the head," it said after a minute. "Come with me." Perfect, the Doctor thought, and followed the creature inside.

--  
Notes: I'm updating early, hurrah! I thought there were some questions that needed answers, so if nothing else it's satisfied me, ha! Thanks to all those reading and reviewing – seriously, thanks. It's so lovely!


	6. Phase E

**Phase E  
You and Me**

The Doctor followed the creature down the hallway, hands stuffed in his pockets, keeping his eyes open for anything that looked suspicious. Of course, the entire ordeal was suspicious enough, but still, he was on alert.

"So, what is it you do here?" he asked.

"Holding areas."  
"Holding areas for what?" There was an irritated huff.

"You ask too many questions."  
"I just want to know! And outside, what did you mean by 'your kind aren't needed here'? What kind is it you're looking for?"

Sadie's head jerked up. She knew that voice. She jumped to her feet and pressed herself against the wire side of the cage, craning her neck to see out in the hallway. A big black blur went past the doorway, followed by a smaller brown blur. Sadie's heart skipped a beat. She knew that blur as well. It went along with the voice.

"Doctor!" she screeched, cupping her hands around her mouth so it would carry further. "Doctor! Please, I'm in here! Help me! Doctor!"

"What do you think you're doing?" Jackson asked, staring at her. "No one's going to come rescue you. It's hopeless!" Sadie ignored him. She waited breathlessly, absolutely every fiber of her being wishing him to return to her view. After what seemed like an eternity, the wildly coifed head peeked around the doorway.

"Well, hello there!" he said, entering the room and moving across it to stand in front of her cage. The black creature came to the doorway, effectively blocking most of it, and waited impatiently. "Got yourself in a bit of trouble?" Sadie knew she deserved his remarks, but she was too excited that he had come back to do much of anything except babble, clutching at the wires of the cage tightly.

"Doctor! Thank you, thank you for coming back! I was…well, I was afraid you wouldn't hear me, or you'd ignore me since I'd been such a…okay, let's face it, I was an idiot when we first got here for running off like I did, because it wasn't safe for me to be alone, which I totally realize now and I should have apologized way sooner than this, but I guess now's a good a time as any, so….I'm so sorry. I'm really, really sorry, and I hope you're not going to be mad at me anymore and-"

"Sadie," The Doctor broke in. Sadie looked up anxiously to see the Doctor smiling at her. "It's alright."

"…really?"  
"Really."

"Great," Sadie breathed, relieved more than words could possibly describe. "So…can you let me out of this thing?" The Doctor stepped back, giving the cage a once over.

"I don't know, I kind of like it. It'd keep you in one place, make you easier to find…" Sadie bit her lip. Was he serious or not? It was so hard to tell sometimes.

"You wouldn't really leave me here…would you?" she asked. The Doctor was already pulling out his sonic screwdriver before the sentence was fully out of her mouth. In just a few seconds the lock was undone and the Doctor swung the door open.

"Never." Sadie threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"Good." Jackson had watched the entire exchange with wide eyes.

"How did you…" he said finally, causing Sadie and the Doctor to turn towards him.

"Oh, Doctor, this is Jackson," Sadie explained. "He's been telling me a lot about this place, like why everyone's singing and all."

"Ah, a knowledgeable fellow, good to hear," the Doctor replied. "Nice to meet you Jackson. I'm the Doctor." He moved closer, screwdriver in hand, ready to open the second cage, but froze when Jackson shouted.

"No! Don't!" The Doctor looked confused.

"Why?"  
"You can't just waltz in and set everyone free. It'll cause a riot!"

"Riots are nothing unusual for me," The Doctor replied.

"Still," Jackson went on. "I'd rather stay here. That creature you were with before? He's been gone awhile now, and I'll bet anything he's gone to set off the alarms. This cage is the safest place for me to be right now." As if on cue, sirens began to sound, and there was shouting in the distance.

"That's not good at all."

--  
Notes: So…here it is. Not a whole lot to say, really. Again: thank ye kindly for reading! Hope you're enjoying!


	7. Phase Seven

**Phase Seven  
Come on to my House**

"What do we do now?" Sadie asked hurriedly, eyes wide. The sirens were still screaming, alerting the powers-that-be, whoever that was, that there were intruders. "Doctor! What do we do!?"

The Doctor thought quickly. Running would be fairly useless. Sure, it would get them away from whatever was coming for them right now, but it would also lead them away from what was causing the inhabitants of the planet to act so strangely. So, stay and face whatever was coming and get to the bottom of the mystery, or run and leave the planet altogether.

In the end, curiosity won out.

"We wait. I'd like to have a talk with whoever is behind all this." Sadie's mouth dropped open.

"We're just going to wait?"  
"That's what I said." Sadie stared at him incredulously for a moment, and then marched herself back into the open cage. "What are you doing?"

"I'm not an idiot," she replied, pulling the door closed, but making sure not to lock it. "I've no idea what sort of insane monsters might be coming towards this room at this very moment, and I'm not going to just stand there like a moron waiting for them to come and eat me alive!"

"Oh, it's highly unlikely any eating would go on—wait. Did you just call me a moron?"

"She sure did," Jackson replied, smiling ever so slightly. The Doctor shook his head. Heavy footsteps could be heard approaching now. The Doctor waited calmly, leaning against the wire mesh of Sadie's cage. The footsteps grew closer and closer. The black creature from before burst into the room, followed closely by three small roly-poly beings that looked very much like toys. All were brightly colored, with rosy cheeks, large sparkling eyes and curly, golden hair. Sadie's mouth fell open for the second time in the space of about ten minutes.

"THAT is what is behind all this?!" she exclaimed.

"They're not things, Sadie, so don't call them 'whats'. That's just rude," The Doctor commented. Jackson gasped, falling to his knees.

"Oh…my…" he stammered. "It's them…"  
"And they are?"

"We are the Onkitalls," one of the roly-poly creatures, the shiny blue one, responded in a pleasant sing-songy sort of voice. "We understand that someone has some questions for us about our planet."

"That would be me," The Doctor spoke up, strolling over. The Onkitalls only came up to about his knees. "Nice to meet you! I'm the Doctor, and that girl over there in the cage is Sadie."

"We are most happy to meet you, Doctor and Sadie," the Onkitalls chirruped sweetly in unison. The Doctor paused a moment, a little unsure how to react to these strange creatures. Sadie cautiously swung the cage door open and moved to stand just behind the Doctor.

"Right," The Doctor said finally. "You said this was your planet, so you're the ones who are making it so that everyone sings, correct?"

"That is correct, Doctor," the blue Onkitall replied. "Oh, you are most definitely a smart one!"

"Thanks. But the question now is why? Why would you want everyone to sing all the time?"

"That is easy," the Onkitall answered. "Life here was so boring and plain until we arrived. Now everything is enjoyable and all the people are happy. Don't you think it's wonderful?"

"Wait," Sadie broke in. "Jackson told me that to keep the singing going, there had to be sacrifices. Is that true?"

"Of course it is."

"Sacrifices? You've been making them give _sacrifices_ just for the ability to randomly burst into song?" the Doctor questioned, brow furrowed. He didn't like this development at all. "No more. That is ending today. No more sacrifices."

"You can't do that!" Jackson shouted, pressing himself against the wires of his cage. "The sacrifices are necessary, we all know that, and we WANT to give them!"

"But why?"

"We do not question, Doctor," the Onkitall chirped. "But let us warn you." The Onkitall's eyes glowed a deep red and its voice became menacing. "It would not be wise for you to try to stop us."

--  
Notes: Sorry for the lack of updates lately. I've been insanely busy, and suffered from a bit of writer's block as well. Not a good combination! Anyway, I'll hopefully be wrapping this one up soon, and then I have plans for future Sadie/Doctor adventures! :)


	8. Phase G

**Phase G  
Let's Call the Whole Thing Off**

"What did you say to me?" The Doctor almost growled, his eyes narrowed. Sadie knew that look. The Doctor was growing angrier by the minute. Sadie contemplated heading back into the cage for protection.

"We said, Doctor, that it would not be wise for you to try to stop us," The Onkitall replied, in the same menacing voice. But then, in a split second it reverted back to its toy-like form. "Why bother messing up such a great thing?"

"Because it's **not** a 'great thing'," The Doctor spat. "You're killing these people, just for the sake of music!"

"But we want to do it," Jackson said again. "Really, we like the singing, and if this is what it takes…"

"The price is too high, Jackson," The Doctor replied. "No one should have to die for this. It ends today. I will not allow this to continue. So, Onkitalls, know that I will do everything in my power to stop you, no matter what you may threaten." The room fell silent. Then, the Onkitall's eyes began to glow red again.

"We warned you, Doctor," it snarled. With lightning speed, the blue Onkitall's head snapped backwards, revealing a hidden inner compartment. Inside the compartment were thousands of miniature-sized Onkitalls that flew out and surrounded the Doctor's torso, trapping his arms to his sides, effectively imprisoning him. "You will be taken to the Sllih." The other two Onkitalls, red and yellow colored, rolled over to Sadie.

"You will stay here," they chirruped in unison, bumping into her legs. "Move back to the cage." Sadie looked at the Doctor for instruction. He simply nodded. Sadie made her way back into the wire mesh prison, and allowed herself to be locked inside. "You will be sacrificed later." The Onkitalls rolled back to the Doctor and began bumping into the back of his legs.

"Move forward, Doctor!" The Doctor did as he was told, following the blue Onkitall out of the room as it rolled in front of him. As soon as the group had disappeared, Sadie kicked the cage wall viciously, and then began to pace.

"This is crazy! I'm stuck in this stupid cage, just waiting to be sacrificed, while the Doctor is being led away to some creature, which will probably eat him, and there's nothing I can do about it!"

"Sadie?" Jackson broke into her tirade.  
"What?" Sadie looked up to see Jackson standing in the doorway of her cage. "Wait…how did you…"

"My cage was never locked," Jackson said, shrugging. "I never intended to run away. Go on, help your Doctor before it's too late. The Sllih is not to be taken lightly." Sadie grabbed Jackson in a bear hug.

"Jackson, you're the biggest idiot I've ever met, but right now, I love you," she said. She took off for the door, pausing only to say one last thing. "Thank you!"

Sadie ran down the hallway in the direction they had taken the Doctor. She slowed down when she overheard the Onkitalls urging him to go faster. She followed them at a safe distance to the end of the long hallway, and then carefully slipped through the doorway into the cavernous room the Doctor was led into. It was dark, so Sadie felt her way along the wall until she reached a point where she could see what was going on. The Doctor was standing, still bound in the tiny Onkitall-fields, the larger Onkitalls in front of him. The group was directly in front of a large, grassy green something. Sadie strained to get a closer look. It looked just like…but no, it couldn't be.

It was a hill. A honest to goodness, actual hill, covered in grass. The only difference noticeable was the fact that it had a large mouth, lined with rocky teeth, and two big eyes. So this was the Sllih, Sadie thought.

"Oh great and mighty and masterous and mysterious Sllih," the Onkitalls sang. "We have brought you a most excellent sacrifice for your enjoyment." The Sllih groaned.

"More sacrifices?" it questioned in an earthy sort of voice, which, Sadie thought, seemed appropriate. "Already?"

"This is a special treat, oh great and mighty and masterous and mysterious Sllih!" The Onkitalls replied. "He is a special catch that we thought you would enjoy. And then you will make all the people happy and full of songs!" Sadie was sure she heard a sigh escape from the Sllih.

"Well, if you insist," it said, slowly opening its large mouth. The Onkitalls began to bump against the Doctor again.

"Inside, inside," they cheeped. "You must go inside!" The Doctor stood fast.

"Now just hold on a minute," he said. "It seems to me that this Sllih here doesn't really want me to be sacrificed. It appears that you are the ones that want it so much. I think-"

"No one cares what you think, Doctor," the Onkitalls growled, eyes glowing red again. "Inside! Inside!" They began to chant, bumping themselves incessantly against him, trying to move him forward.

"I think we should talk more," The Doctor said, ignoring the chanting. "So you're a Sllih! I've never met one like you before…where did you come from?" The Onkitalls were still chanting, only their pitch was growing. It began to hurt Sadie's ears. The Sllih sighed again.

"Please, cease with the talk and do as they say. The noise will only grow worse," it said. "I am unable to stop them." The Onkitalls pitch was growing higher and higher with every moment. Sadie had had all she could stand.

"Hey! Knock off that racket, will ya?" she shouted, moving from her hiding place. Immediately, the noise stopped. Sadie rubbed at her ears, trying to stop them ringing. "That was even more annoying than those Crazy Frog cell phone ringers…"

"You! You are not to be here!" The Onkitalls began to roll wildly around the room, obviously angry. "How did you escape?"

"That's for me to know and you…not to!" Sadie replied. She moved over to the Doctor and tried to pull the Onkitall chain from him.

"Ow! Sadie, stop! You're making it tighten," the Doctor gasped. "You'll have to find another way."

"There is a way…" The Sllih spoke up. The Doctor and Sadie looked over.

"And that would be?"

"Sing."

--  
Notes: So, here we are again. This one is winding down fast. I'm thinking there'll only be one or two more updates to it. So thanks for sticking with it this long, reading, reviewing and all that. I never imagined people would actually like my rambling little story (that seems worse to me each time I re-read it!). Anyway – as I said before, I have plans for Sadie and the Doctor, so keep an eye out for those!


	9. Phase Nine

**Phase Nine  
It Ends Tonight**

"What?!" Sadie and the Doctor exclaimed in unison, both turning to face the Sllih with wide eyes.

"Sing," the Sllih repeated. "It's the only way to stop them."

"Wait," The Doctor said, looking a bit confused. "You said before that you weren't able to stop the Onkitalls…but now you say that ultimately they _can_ be stopped with singing?"

"I said that **I** was unable to stop them. I said nothing about **you** stopping them."

"Well, that's convenient," The Doctor remarked while Sadie rolled her eyes. The two of them stared dumbly at each other for a moment. Meanwhile, the larger Onkitalls were back to crashing themselves into the Doctor's legs, starting up their annoying chant again.

"Not again," Sadie groaned. "Do something already!" The Doctor shook his head.

"I don't sing. That's your department."  
"Why is it mine?!"

"You were the one who sang in the café, remember?" Sadie frowned.

"Point taken, but still…" The chanting was growing in volume and pitch, beginning to reach its ear splitting decibel again, so Sadie decided to relent. She cleared her throat nervously and sang out the first thing that popped inside her mind.

"_The hills are alive, with the sound of music…" _

"That's the best you can come up with?!" The Doctor cried, very nearly laughing, but catching himself just in time. Sadie blushed furiously.

"Well, it's…it's all I could think of, okay?" she said finally, stammering a little. She looked down to see the smaller Onkitalls still wrapped around the Doctor, and the larger still slamming themselves into his calves. "But it didn't seem to work."

"You've got it wrong," the Sllih said. "You have to sing, but it has to be heartfelt."

Sadie shook her head.

"No way. I've gotta sing AND it has to mean something. This is getting ridiculous." She turned to the Doctor. "You already laughed at me once, if I get all mushy and stuff you're just going to laugh more. Forget it. Hope you don't give him indigestion or anything." She started to walk off but the Doctor spoke quickly.

"I'm sorry for laughing. I promise, I won't do it again. Please, just sing and let's get out of here." Sadie sighed. She never could have left him, no matter what she'd said. She remembered how lonely she'd felt earlier without him around, and she knew she didn't want to live through that again. Suddenly it hit her. That was it! Smiling ever so slightly, she opened her mouth and began to sing softly.

"_I'm looking for a place, searching for a face, is anybody here I know. Cause nothing's going right and everything's a mess, and no one likes to be alone. Isn't anyone trying to find me? Won't somebody come take me home? It's a cold night, trying to figure out this life…Won't you take me by the hand, take me somewhere new, I don't know who you are but I... I'm with you.  
I'm with you__…"_

She let the song trail off and looked up cautiously. The Doctor was standing, newly freed hands on his hips, grinning. Small piles of dust that had once been Onkitalls surrounded him. "You said you wouldn't laugh!"

"I'm not laughing!" he protested, still smiling. "That was just…"

"Yeah…" Sadie coughed. "Hey look, the Onkitalls are gone!"

"I told you," the Sllih broke in. The Doctor moved closer, carefully stepping over the Onkitall dust.

"Alright so tell me, if the Onkitalls could be stopped by singing, why did they go to such lengths to give people the ability to sing?" he asked. "It doesn't make sense!"

"Not everything has to make sense, Doctor," the Sllih replied. The Doctor looked puzzled.

"So, did the people really enjoy it as much as they say they did? Even though they had to feed you people to keep it going?" Sadie asked.

"Yes, they enjoyed it, but it was the Onkitalls that insisted on the sacrifices," the Sllih answered.

"But why didn't you stop them?"

"No arms."

Sadie and the Doctor stood outside the TARDIS, watching the city. The Doctor had made an agreement with the Sllih to keep the spontaneous singing permanently for the planet, an act that had made him a hero with the planet's inhabitants. They had even thrown him a parade. Jackson had arranged it all, having decided that being sacrificed was not such a good thing, after all. But all the excitement was over now.

"It really isn't a bad place," Sadie remarked.

"No, not now anyway," the Doctor agreed. "Though it's a little noisy for my liking." Sadie nodded. The Doctor grinned cheekily. "So what was it that song said…something about 'take me by the hand, take me somewhere new'?"

"You promised not to laugh! Besides, I didn't hear YOU doing any singing!" Sadie pointed an accusing finger at the Doctor.

"Good reason for that, too. I can't carry a tune at all. A few bars from me and the Sllih would have eaten me just to make me stop!" Sadie giggled. The Doctor held out his hand and Sadie took it, walking with him into the TARDIS.

--  
Notes: Okay, so it might have been a little cheesy, but I like it, so there :P I hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for all your reviews and stuff – I'm so pleased, really, I am. I'm starting a new Sadie/Doctor story very, very soon, so be on the lookout for it!! Thanks again, you awesome readers, you!


End file.
